Opelousas haunted house provides frightful fun for the whole family

Posted: Oct 26, 2023 / 10:57 AM CDT

Updated: Oct 26, 2023 / 10:57 AM CDT

OPELOUSAS, La. (KLFY) — In St. Landry Parish they’re ushering in the spooky season by bringing a 500-foot haunted house to the Yambilee Building.

Parish President Jessie Bellard said the house takes its fright seriously, and will have an ambulance on standby.

“The haunted house was something we started in 2020,” Bellard said. “We started with just putting some tarps up to put something together. This year we stepped it up a bunch of notches.”

In an effort to bring the good times to familes in the area, Bellard and his team partnered with sponsors throughout the parish to assemble the 563-foot maze where people will experience 11 different terrifying scenes. From a haunted jail to an amusement park, organizers gave it their all to bring the scares this Halloween.

Brittany Babineaux, a member of the haunted house crew, said the team has devoted “hours, hours, and hours” to the project.

“The end of September is when we started,” Babineaux said. “Our awesome crew at public works has been here after hours, weekends, volunteering their time just building sunup to sundown.”

With the house scheduled to be open for three days, from Oct. 29-31, and an admission price of just $2, the team at the Yambilee Building wants to ensure every family has the chance to scare the night away without having to leave Opelousas.

“I want them to know they don’t have to drive to Lafayette or Baton Rouge to have a fun time,” Bellard said. “And I don’t want to tell them too much, but I’ll tell you when you come through here you’ll know you were in a haunted house. That’s for sure.”